Cold weather means warm and comforting food. Noticed Hakata’s signs when they first opened at the main street shopping center in Exton and made a mental note of ooohhh try their ramen on a cold day! Well, I did and honestly, I am not sure I will be heading back any time soon.
Ambiance/Atmosphere: Hakata is located in the main street shopping center with several other food spots. This is their second location. I have noticed the other one in Wayne but never tried it. So, I have heard of them, but wasn’t sure what to expect. The inside is decorated with a modern Asian vibe. The staff are friendly. It would be a good spot to eat when you’re out shopping. It just didn’t wow me.
Drinks: They offer water to all and a variety of hot teas/bubble tea etc. On a cold winter day, I wanted my food to be the focus, so I had water LOL.
Menu: They advertise as a sushi ramen place, so I knew I was going to order ramen. That is what is needed on a cold day. But they do have appetizers, sushi and more LOL. To start the pork bao bun and the truffle white tuna were ordered. The bao buns themselves didn’t see fresh. They were a bit cold and not as soft as I hoped. They inside however had fresh veggies for crunch the aioli sauce was flavorful and pair well with the pork belly. But you know me – I needed more pork belly LOL. The tuna was BOMB. It was silky, smooth, light and refreshing. The shaved truffle was the cherry on top with the yuzu sauce. The flavor combination was delicious, and I could keep eating this nonstop. For ramen – I tried the Hakata Tonkotsu Black ramen bowl. I asked for it mild – but had no spice at all. I could have gotten it spicy and probably would have been okay. The pork broth was delicious, and you could taste the garlic which I really enjoyed. Compared to Motto’s ramen though, it didn’t really compare. Overall, it was good, but it just didn’t wow me enough to want to come back for more. I think if I would go back, I would try how the sushi is since the tuna was so good! See their full menu here.
Tips/Recommendations: I don’t want to write them off completely. I think it’s worth a try, depending on what you are looking for. A quick Asian bite while shopping – then yes, go for it! They also offer take out, which I think sushi would be best. I highly recommend the tuna. And as always, try something new every time you go.
Rating: 6.5/10
🤤🤤
Recommend: Maybe
Live to Eat,
Tiv
Living Tivalicious 